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Topic: C mags build thread UPDATED... (Read 4200 times)

My better half bought me a couple C Mags for Christmas. I wasn't surprised but sure was pleased. See, a couple not fully formed thoughts had been roiling about in my head since November-ish and search as I might I couldn't find the info I needed to form a tangible plan. Christmas day I begged off from my inlaws early and got into the shop (kitchen) to do some measurements and a complete tear down. Yup, the plan is tangible but whether it all works is more reliant on the reflectors which are currently stuck in a Chinese mail bin. I'm a fan of pushing the edges in terms of making stuff fit and that's all the clue you get. Until the build thread. OK I'll give up a pic.

Dang it all JohnnyMac wher'd ja put the pic button?

Gimmi a sec here...

Well that's a different way of doing it.

Wife asked me if I'd even tried them out before wrecking them...

Update:

This is now a build thread featuring only the 2C mag. I ended up killing five emitters in the build process most likely due to the wiring creating shorts on the bottom of the reflector. I will update with the 3C build when I get more emitters (XP-Ls).

The idea for these mods was to modify the head of the maglite to accept four convoy S series reflectors. These measure roughly 20mm diameter by 20mm tall. The height works out nicely if using a 0.25" thick heatsink and a 1.5mm UCL. The mag head needed to be widened by about 1.5 millimeters above the level of the heatsink. We begin by shaping a chunk of 1.875" diameter aluminum rod to 0.25 inch thick and a bit smaller in diameter to form a tight press fit when wrapped with 0.012" copper sheet. This takes a while with hand tools.

Once the heatsink is shaped it is inserted into the head and its height is marked inside the head.

Then the head is ground out with a dremel and metal cutting bit.

They fit!

Next we affix the noctigons to the heatsink with thermal epoxy and wire for 2S2P configuration.

The switch was modified to allow direct connection between battery positive and LED positive, keeping the emitter current out of the switch. Switch positive connects to driver positive and switch negative to the ground leg on the FET. LED negative connects to the rear of the FET.

The bottom lip of the reflectors must be filed off to make room for the wiring.

Even with modified reflectors it is important to fully insulate the led connections.

Put it all into the mag host, add a UCL and take a pic!

Not done yet, the tailcap needs modding to make space for 2 x 18650. The anodizing is stripped from the inside of the tailcap and a low profile spring is held in place with a 20mm xm-l insulation gasket.

The light draws over 8 amps at the tailcap giving around 4 amps per emitter. The driver is a BLF17DD-Z PCB populated with a parts kit from Mountain Electronics. There are four modes with a nice mood mode.

Hmm...assuming that all those parts are for the Mag "C" lights I see a couple blank FET PCBs and enough XM-L2 emitters for 4/light. I also see one copper heatsink spacer but no heatsink (yet). I'm guessing either a quad TIR array for each or (and this is my real guess here) you are waiting for some SRK quad reflectors to show up since they are close to the right size to be weedled into a mag head.

No matter which way it ends up I am sure we are in for a treat once we see the finished product. 4000-4500 lumen Maglites on the way!

I should have the reflectors tonight. Not quad SRK reflectors, though I would be very interested in a source for such a thing. Heatsink material should also arrive tonight. I might be up late tonight...weedling.